


A Thing of Wonder

by benmitchells



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, First Christmas, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21893110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benmitchells/pseuds/benmitchells
Summary: Everyone else’s attention is elsewhere, and for a moment, it feels like they’re all on their own. The lights from the tree are twinkling in Ben’s eyes, and it’s warm, and Callum finds himself wondering how he ever thought he should be anywhere other than here.“I’m really glad you’re here.” Ben tells him, voice practically a whisper. He scratches at the hair at the nape of Callum’s neck, grins when it makes him shiver.“Yeah, me too.”ORCallum spends Christmas at the Beale's.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 13
Kudos: 141





	A Thing of Wonder

**Author's Note:**

> for the prompt: 'christmas morning' from an anon on tumblr!! it's not JUST about christmas morning, but christmas morning is a part of it so that counts, right lmao ???
> 
> in my head this was set next christmas, though i realized after i'd already written it that if it was next year they probably (hopefully) wouldn't be staying with the beale's still but?? idk i just think the concept is cute. also i've just ignored the mitchells and whatever drama is gonna happen this christmas completely lol minimal angst up in this bitch!!
> 
> anyways i hope this pure tooth rotting fluff will help cheer someone up, given everything that's happening on screen at the moment, and i hope you all enjoy it either way <3

“Listen, whatever you see and love—  
that’s where you are.”

– _Luke's Junkyard Song,_ Mary Oliver

Callum had been reluctant when Ben had asked him to spend the night at the Beale’s with him on Christmas Eve. He’d been flattered, too, and glad that Ben even wanted him there, but mostly he’d just been apprehensive – not because he didn’t want to go, necessarily, but he thought that maybe he probably _shouldn’t_. That maybe, with the exception of Ben, his presence wouldn’t exactly be wanted at their family Christmas.

He still remembered the Christmas morning he’d spent with the Carters a few years back, was the thing. And don’t get him wrong, it had been nice; they’d made sure he was included in everything, even woke him early so they could all sit around and watch Ollie open his presents together, and it had been good. Maybe even the first proper Christmas Callum had ever really had. But despite all of that, he’d still spent the entire morning feeling like he was an intruder in someone else’s life, the entire thing feeling weirdly intimate, like something he shouldn’t have been seeing, something he shouldn’t have been a part of, and that morning - more than any other morning he had lived with the Carters - he could feel the distance between them. He felt the strain of it. He had felt distant from them, other – there was them, and then there was him.

He’d never felt uncomfortable among the Carters before, not like he had that morning. It made him acutely aware that it was true, what people said: that Christmas is for families. And despite everything, Callum had been reminded that Christmas that he wasn’t a part of the Carter family, not really.

Callum wasn’t a part of the Beale family, either – of course he was close to them, being Ben’s boyfriend, but he wasn’t _family_. And having already had one experience of intruding on some other family’s Christmas, he hadn’t really been keen to have another. Being invited over to have Christmas dinner with them had felt like a big enough deal already; spending Christmas eve _and_ Christmas day with them too may have been pushing his luck.

He had promised Ben that he would think about it, but Callum’s mind had been pretty much made up straight away. He didn’t want to force himself into somewhere he wasn’t wanted, not at Christmas – no matter how much he might’ve wanted to spend it with Ben.

So his mind had been made up. He wasn’t going.

But then Lexi had come bounding up to him in the cafe one day – it hadn’t been long before Christmas, and Callum had been having lunch with Mick. Kathy had taken Lexi out Christmas shopping that day, Ben had told him that morning, and sure enough she came trailing behind a moment later, her arms laden with bags. Lexi stood at their table talking a mile a minute about how she had bought him something and Callum had to see it and could Nanny Kathy _please_ get it out of the bag so she could show him. Callum had barely had a chance to swallow his food before Lexi was shoving a bundle of red fabric at him, already jittery with excitement.

“Do you like it?” She’d asked before he’d even figured out what it was. “I picked it out specially.”

“Bought it out of her own pocket money and everything.” Kathy had told him, stroking Lexi’s hair affectionately, though her smile had been aimed at Callum as she watched him unfold the material and lay it out on his lap.

It was a Christmas stocking; the kind that you see hung above fireplaces on Christmas cards, plain and traditional. But long the top, amongst the white fur trim, a name had been embroidered in red, cursive letters.

Callum’s name.

Callum had never had a stocking before. They’d barely had decorations growing up, let alone stockings, so the fact that someone would buy him his own – that _Lexi_ would go out of her way buy him one – had made his throat practically close up on the spot.

“You can hang it up next to mine, that way Father Christmas will know where to deliver your presents,” she had told him, one of her fingers tracing along the capital ‘C’, “because it’s got your name on it.”

Callum couldn’t have spoken, even if he had known what to say.

Mick had saved him with his ‘let’s have a look’, wiping his hands on a napkin and reaching out to take the stocking from Callum. He had held it up, took a proper look at it. “Oh, look at that. That’s lovely, Lexi, really lovely.” And then, passing it back, “Ain’t that lovely, Halfway?”

He had looked Callum right in the eye as he’d said it, face full of soft encouragement. Maybe even pride, too. It made him snap out of whatever trance he was in.

“Yeah,” he’d said, struggling to get his voice out, “yeah, I love it, Lex. Thank you.”

And then he’d put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug, and she had thrown her little arms around his neck to hug him back, and Callum’s mind had been well at truly changed.

So he agrees to spend the night at the Beale’s on Christmas eve, despite still being apprehensive about the whole thing; still unsure whether or not he should really be there. Whether or not he’s wanted.

But he’d told Lexi he’d be there, so he supposes that even if it turns out to be the most awkward, uncomfortable experience of his life, he has no choice but to suffer through it. He can’t let her down.

It’s only early evening when Callum knocks on the front door, the sun not even set, and he’s still wondering if he’s doing the right thing. Especially turning up this early. He had wanted to come later, maybe after Lexi was already in bed, but Ben had insisted he join them for dinner – it’s tradition to get a Chinese takeaway on Christmas eve, apparently, and this year Ian has begrudgingly agreed to pay, and when Ben had told him that he’d looked him right in the eye and said ‘you don’t wanna miss out on seeing that, Cal; it’s practically a Christmas miracle’. Callum thinks he just wants to wind Ian up by making him pay for more food, but in a weird way he kind of wants to see it too, so he’d taken much less persuading than he would like to admit.

But still. Even that’s not enough to stop the worry from setting in.

It’s Kathy who opens the door, smiling when she sees him standing on the doorstep, and pulls him straight into a hug that Callum can’t even reciprocate because he’s got bags in both his hands.

“Oh Callum, I’m so glad you’re here.” She says, letting him go and ushering him inside. The sincerity of Kathy’s warm welcome surprises him, almost – he had assumed that there would be at least _some_ level of awkwardness. Of forced politeness. Instead, she just seems genuinely glad he’s here.

In the living room Lola’s sat at the table wrapping presents, looking about ready to tear her own hair out. She greets him distractedly when he walks in. Callum’s glad of her presence, honestly – the two of them have grown genuinely close ever since he started dating Ben, and it had been _her_ assurances that he was welcome that had eased his nerves, even more than Ben’s had; they’re good enough friends that he’s sure if she’d had a problem with him being there (or thought that anyone did, for that matter), she would’ve told him honestly – unlike Ben, who probably would’ve lied to him just so he wouldn’t decide not to come.

He walks over to the tree and puts his bags of presents down, noticing Ian on the phone in the kitchen. He doesn’t see anyone else.

“Ben and Bobby have taken Lexi to the park for a little while;” Kathy says then, almost like she could tell Callum was looking for him, “she was practically bouncing off the walls. They shouldn’t be much longer now though.” She smiles at him. Callum laughs, a little awkward, not really knowing what to do with himself. “Take your bag upstairs if you want. Do you want a drink?”

“Nah, I’m alright thanks.” Kathy looks at him in confusion. “It’s a bit early, innit?”

“It’s Christmas!” She cries, nudging him towards the stairs. “No such thing as too early at Christmas.”

There’s a bang then, making them both jump; even Ian sticks his head out of the kitchen to see what had happened.

Lola is scowling down at the torn wrapping paper on her half-wrapped present, the scissors slammed down onto the table under her palm. She huffs, glaring around the room, but then she spots Callum and her eyes become wide and imploring – it’s a look Callum has seen on Lexi’s face more times than he can count, and it’s a look that gets him every time.

“How good are you at wrapping presents, Callum?”

He sighs, but pulls out a chair.

Things became a bit of a whirlwind after that; Ben, Bobby and Lexi come back from the park before long, and whatever energy she had managed to burn off comes right back when she spots Callum sat at the table with Lola. She’s eager to show him his stocking, hung up next to hers, just like she said it would be. Callum had somehow missed it earlier, and the sight of it – _his_ stocking, with _his_ name on it – hung up in the middle of the Beale’s living room makes him feel unbelievably _warm._ It bursts from his chest and washes over his body like water, and he can’t help but smile and thank her again, one hand in hers as she bounces up and down excitedly. Ben sidles up behind him and presses a kiss to the back of his neck.

“Love you.” He murmurs, almost like he knows exactly how Callum’s feeling.

Callum presses a kiss to his temple. “Love you more.”

Lola finishes her last minute wrapping not long after that, and takes Lexi upstairs to have a bath. Ian comes back in from the kitchen and immediately starts moaning about having to buy so much food, to which Ben tells him to stop being such a Scrooge, it’s _Christmas_. Him and Ben are still bickering by the time Lexi comes barrelling down the stairs in her pyjamas, her hair still wet from the bath. Ian tries to barter them all down as they all decide what to get, claiming they don’t _need_ that much food (“Lexi doesn’t need her own separate order; she’s a child, she can just have some of all of ours.”), and then Lexi complains about getting hungry, which drives Ben to just throw his hands up and say that _he’ll_ pay for the food if Ian’s going to be so stingy about it. Ian then accuses Ben of trying to show him up, and suddenly insists he’s not being stingy, he’s trying to ‘prevent food waste’, but if they’re all alright with having that on their conscience, then fine. He even makes a point of ordering an extra portion of chicken balls (Ben wanted pork balls, but Bobby reminds him they’re not halal so he has to compromise), just to prove he’s _not_ tight. Callum – much like Bobby – had just sat back and watched the whole thing go down with quiet amusement.

(Not once does Ian bring up Callum’s presence like he thought he would; doesn’t make any snide digs about having to pay for Callum too despite him not being family, doesn’t ask him to pay for himself. Callum offers anyway of course, and Ian puts up a half-hearted effort to reject it even though it’s clear he wants to take it, but Kathy intervenes, tells him no – that _Ian_ is paying for them all tonight, and that he’s already given them too much anyway, (he had given them some money to go towards food and things – Kathy hadn't wanted to accept it, but he had convinced her to in the end), so he can put his money away, thank you very much. Ian, surprisingly, doesn’t argue, and Callum doesn’t want to cause a scene so he doesn’t push it.)

The food takes forever to arrive but it comes eventually, and they all squeeze around the dining table to eat together. Lexi steals one of Lola’s spring rolls, so she steals one of Ben’s, who steals one of her chicken balls in retaliation. Kathy makes a comment about it feeling like she’s sat at a table with a load of children, but there’s a smile on her face.

Once they’re done, Ian pushes his plate away and tells Callum and Lola that they can wash up. Lola lets out an indignant ‘what?’, but Callum doesn’t mind at all – he likes not being treated like a guest. It makes him feel more confident in his place here, weirdly enough.

“You wash, I’ll dry.” Lola says once they’re in the kitchen. Callum thinks that’s a cop out, but he’s in such a good mood he lets her get away with it.

The first and only time all night that he really does feel out of place is when Lexi starts getting ready for bed. Ian and Bobby are both upstairs, leaving just Callum and Kathy in the living room, watching on as she hovers in the kitchen doorway, waiting for her mum and dad to help her set out the things for Father Christmas before she goes to bed – mince pies and a glass of milk (Ben had said Father Christmas might prefer a glass of whiskey, but Lexi had very seriously said “He can’t drink alcohol, daddy, he has to drive the sleigh,” so milk it was), plus eight carrots and a bowl of water for the reindeer. She carries everything out into the living room carefully, one thing at a time, and puts them all on the dining table for Father Christmas to find. It’s then, watching her and Ben and Lola in this personal moment with their daughter that he starts to feel like this is something he shouldn’t be seeing. Kathy is watching on fondly, clearly not sharing Callum’s discomfort in the slightest, but she wouldn’t, he supposes. She’s family.

He just hopes it doesn’t show on his face.

“Do you think he’ll bring me lots of presents?” Lexi asks, fiddling with one of the mince pies on the plate. She’s finally starting to droop, the excitement wearing her out, but she’s fighting it.

“I don’t know. Have you been a good girl this year?” Lola asks, stroking her hair. Lexi nods. “Then I’m sure he’ll bring you lots of presents.”

Callum looks away, feeling like it’s too much to even look at the three of them. He bites his lip, shifts in his chair. Wishes he could escape to the bathroom for five minutes, but he thinks Ian’s in the shower.

“What about Callum?” She asks then. Callum’s head shoots back up; Ben’s frowning down at her.

“What _about_ Callum?”

“What if Father Christmas delivers Callum’s presents to his house instead of here?” 

And just like that, everyone’s attention turns to him.

Callum goes very still, his mouth falling open to say something but he doesn’t know _what._ He looks to Ben, mildly panicked, and thankfully he seems to realize Callum’s struggling and speaks up.

“You got him his own stocking, didn’t ya? With his name on it?” Ben asks her, pulling her into his lap. She nods. “Well there you go then. He’ll see that and know Callum’s here, and that he should leave his presents here.” Then he looks back at Callum. “Won’t he, babe?”

Lexi looks at Callum too, as if she’s looking for confirmation. He feels lost for a second, but then he catches up with himself and nods, smiling. “Yeah, course he will.” He glances at the stocking, hanging limply next to Lexi’s. _His_ stocking, with _his_ name on it. His smile comes easier. “He’ll know exactly where I am thanks to you, Lex.”

That seems to satisfy her. Callum’s eyes drift back to Ben’s face in time to catch the soft smile aimed in his direction.

“Right, I think it’s time for bed, don’t you madam?” Lola says, getting up. Lexi pouts at her, making no move to get down from her dad’s lap. “Don’t give me that. Come on, the sooner you go to bed, the sooner Father Christmas will come.”

That certainly gets her moving.

Before she goes though, she stops give Kathy a hug and say goodnight. Then, throwing her arms around his neck the same way she had in the cafe, she does the same to Callum.

“Night, Callum.” She says into his shoulder. “Love you.”

It’s not the first time she has said this to him, not by a long shot, but it still knocks the air out of him just like it had the first time.

It hits him all at once, then: the realization that he’s not just being tolerated, but that he’s _wanted_ here. Here, where he has a stocking with his name on it hung up in the living room. Where he’s being welcomed into these traditions and special moments with open arms.

Where he’s loved.

He runs a hand up and down her back, unable to keep the smile off his face now, then stops and holds her tighter for a moment. She doesn’t seem to mind. “Love you too, Lex. Sweet dreams.”

With one last ‘see you in the morning!’ she ascends up the stairs, her mum and dad following close behind. Kathy leans over and squeezes Callum’s arm. She doesn’t say a word, but she doesn’t need to; her face says it all.

That she knows.

When Ben comes back downstairs – after Ian and Lola, though Bobby is still nowhere to be seen – he practically throws himself into Callum’s lap, stealing the beer that Kathy had got for him even though he hadn’t asked for it. He takes a mouthful, then leans over and puts it on the coffee table.

Everyone else’s attention is elsewhere, and for a moment, it feels like they’re all on their own. The lights from the tree are twinkling in Ben’s eyes, and it’s warm, and Callum finds himself wondering how he ever thought he should be anywhere other than here.

“I’m really glad you’re here.” Ben tells him, voice practically a whisper. He scratches at the hair at the nape of Callum’s neck, grins when it makes him shiver.

“Yeah, me too.”

Just before they go to bed, Callum helps Lola and Ben set out Lexi’s presents under the tree (though ‘under the tree’ isn’t exactly an accurate description; they take up half the living room) and Ben makes him eat the mince pies Lexi had set out for Father Christmas – the only other person that likes them is Ian, apparently, and he’s already gone to bed. Callum asks why they can’t just put them in the bin, and they both shake their head vigorously.

“She’d find them.” Lola tells him, her face almost comically serious. “She’d see them in the bin tomorrow, and she’d figure it out.”

“Surely she wouldn't-”

“She already knows the Easter Bunny ain’t real, so I’d rather not run the risk.” And then she had slid the plate towards him, pleased smile on her face, and said “Down the hatch.”

“Make sure you leave some crumbs, though.” Ben had then said from the kitchen, where he’d been putting glasses away. “Just the crusty bits, so it actually looks like they’ve been eaten.”

Realizing he had no choice in the matter (and that he really doesn't mind doing it all that much), Callum eats the mince pies.

They get to bed somewhere around midnight. In the quiet safety of the bedroom, Callum finally tells Ben why he had been so reluctant to come at first – about the Christmas he’d spent with the Carters, and all the Christmases before that. Ben strokes his hair while he talks, not saying a word until Callum’s finished speaking; then he quietly asks if he felt out of place tonight.

“A little bit, sometimes,” Callum admits, glad that he can’t see Ben’s face in the darkness, “but mostly I just felt… happy.” Ben’s hand stops stroking through his hair. “Eating on Ian Beale’s dime helped.”

Ben muffles his laughter in his pillow as he pulls Callum’s body closer to his.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but the next thing Callum knows he’s being woken up by the sensation of something falling on him. He frowns, still mostly asleep – there’s noise, and hushed voices, and something sharp pressing into his stomach. He opens his eyes. All he can see is blonde.

“Father Christmas has been!” Lexi screeches (it probably isn’t a screech, to be fair, but it certainly feels like one to Callum’s ears), and it takes him a moment before he connects the dots and realizes _she’s_ the weight on top of him and the blonde hair in his face. Next to him, Ben groans.

“Sorry,” Lola’s by the door, her face as bleary as Callum feels, “I told her not to wake anyone else up yet but she’s not listening-”

“Father Christmas has been!” Lexi repeats, like no one is understanding the urgency of what she’s saying. “He ate the mince pies and left loads of presents, but mummy won’t let me open them without-”

And then she really does screech when Ben pins her down on the mattress between them. She wriggles as he tickles her, and despite still being half asleep and getting multiple elbows to the ribs, Callum can’t help the smile that forces its way onto his face.

“Go and wake up everyone else, yeah? We’ll be down in a minute.” Ben tells her after they’ve settled down and Lola has gone from the doorway.

Lexi doesn’t need anymore encouragement than that; she’s up and out the room before Ben’s even finished the sentence.

The two of them lie there for a moment, unmoving, taking in what’s sure to be the last quiet moment of the day. Ben yawns, then lets out a long sigh. “So it begins.” He says, then turns his head to look at Callum. “Morning. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.” Callum repeats, valiantly trying to wake himself up more. The room is still mostly dark; the sun must barely be up. “What time is it?”

“Too fuckin’ early.” Ben grumbles, reaching for his glasses. Once they’re on, he leans over and presses kisses across the side of Callum’s face. Callum feels his eyes start to slip shut again. “C’mon, get up.” Callum just hums, then whines when Ben starts to pull away. “I’m going to use the bathroom before everyone’s up. You best be up before I get back, otherwise I’m sending Lexi back in here and her methods of waking people up are much less pleasant than mine.”

He presses one final smacking kiss to his cheek, and then he’s gone. Callum misses his warmth immediately.

It takes a few minutes of just listening to the commotion outside the room before Callum finally manages to force himself to get up. He almost walks straight into Bobby on the landing when he walks out of the room – Bobby looks barely conscious, and doesn’t even seem to notice Callum’s presence as he continues towards the stairs without a word.

Between everyone waking up and having to take turns in the bathroom and Kathy insisting she’s not doing _anything_ until she has a cup of tea in her hands, it’s a good half an hour before they’re all sat down in the living room and Lexi can finally start opening her presents.

She, of course, goes for the biggest box first.

They’re all tired and sluggish, but Lexi’s excitement is infectious and soon they’re all joining in on it, pretending to be as surprised and amazed as she is when she shows them what Father Christmas has brought her – even Ian, who has a surprisingly soft smile on his face throughout the whole thing. One by one boxes start to pile around her, and between them and the wrapping paper, she practically disappears from view.

It’s not until Callum’s finished his tea and Lexi’s almost finished opening her presents from Father Christmas that he realizes how different it feels from when he had done this with the Carters. He’d felt like a spare part then; out of place even if he was wanted there. Now, sat next to Bobby, watching Lola half-heartedly try to tidy up as Ben starts handing out everyone else’s presents from under the tree, he feels just fine. Maybe even like he belongs here.

It’s a nice feeling.

“Look!” Lexi shouts then, causing everyone to look up at her. “Callum’s stocking’s full!” She turns to look at him, excited, and though he’s confused, he tries to match her enthusiasm.

“Look at that!” Ben exclaims, and if Callum didn’t know this was his doing before, he definitely does now. “I told you Father Christmas would know where he is, didn’t I?” He stands and unhooks the stocking from the wall, then leans across the room to pass it to Callum. “There’s a lot of presents in there, babe. You must have been a good boy this year.”

Had he not been so tired, Callum probably would have been more mortified by the whole thing than he is – especially with that comment and the teasing look Ben gives him. As it stands, he just feels oddly excited. Boyishly so, almost.

There’s much less fanfare around the adults opening their presents; just the tearing of paper, noises of approval, and quiet ‘thank you’s being exchanged. Callum had struggled with figuring out what to get everyone, but they all seem happy enough, much to his relief.

Callum’s stocking is filled with presents from all of them, even Ian had got him something (a cookbook; Callum can’t decide if it’s supposed to be a dig at his cooking skulls or if it’s surprisingly thoughtful). He works his way through them all, thanking everyone as he goes, and eventually gets to last gift.

Of course it’s Ben’s. Of course he to put _his_ present in the bottom so it’s the last one Callum opens.

Ben chews on his lip as he watches Callum pull the box out – he’s already opened his present from Callum (a new watch – he had cracked the face on his months ago but still hadn’t bought a replacement), so his full attention is on him as he unwraps it. It makes Callum nervous.

“It’s only something little,” Ben warns as Callum finally gets to the box under the paper – plain black, with no clues as to what’s inside, “so don’t get too excited.”

Callum ignores his blatant attempts to downplay whatever it is, and carefully pulls the lid off the box.

He doesn’t know what he had been expecting to find, but it definitely wasn’t his own face staring back at him.

“I know it’s not a lot,” Ben’s suddenly at his side, perching on the arm of the chair. Everyone else, it seems, is distracted with something else, giving them a tiny shred of privacy which Callum is grateful for, “especially not compared to what you got me, but I wasn’t sure what to get you, and I just thought- I dunno.” He can feel the nerves rolling off of Ben in waves. “It’s my favourite picture of us, I thought it would be nice to have it framed.”

Callum lifts the silver picture frame out of the box, careful not to smudge it with his fingerprints – it’s not extravagant, but it’s pretty and it has weight to it, telling of it’s quality. None of that really matters, though. Not compared to what’s in it.

He vividly remembers taking this photo. It had been Lexi’s idea – Ben had been reluctant, but she had insisted and he’d given in eventually, as is always the case where Lexi’s concerned. He’d made Callum be the one to actually take it though – ‘it makes more sense for you to do it,’ he’d said, ‘your arms are longer’.

It had taken them many attempts before they took one they were all happy with, but the end result was worth it: Ben smiling at Callum, Callum smiling at the camera, and Lexi in between the two of them, beaming with all the gaps in her teeth.

Callum knows this picture well. It’s been the wallpaper on Ben’s phone ever since they took it, and he’s always adored it, but seeing it like this – in a beautiful frame, physical and solid between his hands – is like seeing it in a whole new light.

They look, he suddenly realizes, like a family.

“Do you not like it?” Ben asks quietly, and it’s only then that Callum realizes he hasn’t actually said anything. “I know it’s a bit-”

“I love it.” Callum rushes, his voice breaking slightly. He clears his throat. “I love it, Ben, I- this is so thoughtful.” He looks up at Ben, who’s looking down at him with a smile similar to the one in the picture – muted yet beautiful. Callum’s heart lurches in his chest at the sight of it. “Thank you.”

Ben just continues to smile at him softly, reaching out a hand to stroke along Callum’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”

_Me too_ , he wants to say, but it doesn’t feel like enough somehow.

Whatever Callum was or wasn’t going to say doesn’t really matter anyway, because before he can say anything at all Lexi appears in front of them, holding out a box for her dad to open. The moment is broken then, but Callum isn’t upset about it – not when Ben gives his shoulder a firm squeeze before he gets up and wanders off in search of scissors, Lexi trailing behind him, or when Lola calls from the kitchen, asking if he wants another tea, or when he hears Ian start grumbling about breakfast. He can’t be upset, not when he’s as happy as he is.

He stares at the photo for a moment longer before putting it back in the box and placing it carefully on the coffee table; he’ll have to take it upstairs and put it in his bag soon, so it’s out of harm’s way.

For now though, he gets up and pads to the kitchen, where everyone seems to have congregated. Ian and Lola are stood over the oven, bickering about something. Ben is searching through the drawer for the scissors, Lexi stood at his side, and Bobby is leant against the counter, still half asleep, waiting for kettle to boil. _I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday_ is playing from the radio. Callum stands there for a moment, just watching.

“Do us a favour and clean up all the wrapping paper, would you Callum?” Kathy asks, passing him an empty black bag. “I’m gonna start peeling some spuds.”

"Barely eight in the morning and she’s already putting you to work,” Ben jibes, still bent over the drawer, “you really are part of the family.”

Kathy tuts, slapping Ben’s arm. Callum takes the bag off of her and turns back to the living room.

He’s never cleaned with a smile on his, before.

First time for everything, he supposes.

**Author's Note:**

> title and beginning quote are from 'luke's junkyard song' by mary oliver - please go and read it, it's available online and it's short and it reminds me so much of callum
> 
> as always, i hope you enjoyed it and kudos and comments are very appreciated!!
> 
> come and talk to me on tumblr @sunsetsover !!
> 
> <3


End file.
